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J ~ Y <br />permit azea which drain to the Williams Fork River aze located in Ell;, Ute, and Deer <br />drainages; these are relatively small drainages of less than 30 acres etch. Surface discharge <br />from the sediment ponds in these drainages is limited to spring snowmelt almost exclusively. <br />Discharges from the ponds flow down ephemeral channels which cross an outcrop of the <br />permeable Twentymile Sandstone that is a few hundred feet wide. It is likely that much of <br />the dischazges from the ponds infiltrate into this outcrop prior to reaching the Williams Fork <br />River. <br />The Twentymile Sandstone dips northward, away from the Williams Fork River and <br />underneath the Trapper Mine; consequently, the pond dischazges that. infiltate into the <br />sandstone end up flowing away from the Williams Fork River as gro~md water. The <br />potential for contaminating ground water in the Twentymile Sandstone is neglible due to the <br />relatively small volume of water from the ponds compazed to the laz€;e volume of ground <br />water in the Twentymile Sandstone. Water from the ponds would al:;o be subject to large <br />evaporation losses on this scrubby, south-facing slope. <br />Losses from evaporation and infiltration will prevent surface water from the permit azea <br />from reaching the Williams Fork River valley. Ground water fiom the permit azea will not <br />reach the Williams Fork River valley because bedrock dips from the river valley to the <br />permit azea. Therefore, the Division fords that the proposed surface coal mining operation <br />will not interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming on the Williams Fork AVF, and will not <br />materially damage the quantity or quality of water in surface or grouttd water systems that <br />supply the Williams Fork AVF. (4.24.3(1)), (4.24.3(3), and 2.06.8(~)(a)(ii)) <br />The Division finds that: <br />a) The proposed mining activities will comply with the requirements of the Act and <br />the Regulations with respect to alluvial valley floors. (2.On.8(5)(a)(iii)) <br />b) The surface coal mining and reclamation operations will be conducted to preserve <br />the essential hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors outside the permit azea and to <br />reestablish the essential hydrologic functions of alluvial valley floors within the affected <br />azea throughout the mining and reclamation process. (4.24.2). <br />An environmental monitoring system shall be installed, maintained, surd operated by the <br />permittee on all alluvial valley floors during surface coal mining and reclamation operations <br />and continued until all bonds aze released in accordance with Rule 3. (4.24.4). <br />XVIII. Operations on Prime Farmland <br />No prime farmlands currently exist within the proposed permit area. Therefore any specific <br />approvals under this section do not apply. <br />X1X. NlountaintoQ Removal <br />No specific approvals are granted to the applican[ under this section. <br />T:apoe_ Mine 1L May 1J, 1939 <br />